


To Turn The Tide

by miragoat



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, distraction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-03
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-08-19 06:03:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8193031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miragoat/pseuds/miragoat
Summary: Medivh had tried many reckless things before and after he was cured of his possession, but none were quite so strange or as vexing as what he was considering.  He would do anything for Azeroth, no matter how absurd – it was his job as the Guardian of Azeroth, a role he had been trained for since his birth.  He told himself that this was no worse than any of those other things, and that this too would ensure the safety of Azeroth.  It didn’t mean that his flesh didn’t crawl at the idea.





	1. Distraction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vassindi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vassindi/gifts).



Medivh had tried many reckless things before and after he was cured of his possession, but none were quite so strange or as vexing as what he was considering. He would do anything for Azeroth, no matter how absurd – it was his job as the Guardian of Azeroth, a role he had been trained for since his birth. He told himself that this was no worse than any of those other things, and that this too would ensure the safety of Azeroth. It didn’t mean that his flesh didn’t crawl at the idea.

The truth was that Azeroth was in very grave danger. Medivh could feel Khadgar outside of the tomb, trying to work his way past the first trap (Light help him), but he was nowhere near fast enough to reach the heart of the tomb before Gul’dan was able to spring the wards. Wards _his_ mother had made after she had defeated Sargeras and he had made his home in her unknowing body. All of her work, and even his death following his possession, would be for nothing if the tomb was opened for free use. He would have to intercept Gul’dan himself.

Medivh stepped out of the shadows. “That _really_ isn’t a good idea, what you’re doing,” he warned the orc.

Gul’dan spun around to face him. The orc was uglier than he remembered, thinner, almost sickly looking, hunched over his staff like he truly depended on it to support him. _This is not the Gul’dan from our time,_ he reminded himself. _This_ Gul’dan had never had Ner’zhul’s nourishment to make him strong enough to blend in with the other orcs; this Gul’dan had no clan, no brothers to deceive, no guidance to temper or inspire him. That would make him all the more dangerous, and perhaps all the easier to manipulate.

“Don’t you touch those wards,” Medivh said.

“Do you mean to stop me, mage? You alone?” Gul’dan smirked. Clearly he did not understand who he was dealing with.

“Before you get too confident, let me ask you this. Do you know how many demons Magna Aegwynn killed? Perhaps you should ask your Legion masters; I am sure they would know better than you or I. Was it tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? And I wonder how many pawns they have nudged toward this tomb, the tomb she sealed. And I wonder how many demons I could kill, how long it would be before I destroy what the Legion wants, I who carries the blood and the power of Aegwynn in my veins by Sargeras’ will? Ask your masters. Tell me what they say, what defense they might have for you then.”

He waited in silence, sure that Kil’Jaeden had heard him. His suspicions were confirmed as Gul’dan’s face fell with every passing second. “If you mean to kill me, then get it over with.”

“I hardly think it fitting. It lacks a certain symmetry. Do you know what happened to the other Gul’dan? No? I thought not. He was slain by his masters, betrayed upon reaching this very tomb.” He gestured at the room around him. “Your master is unable to deny this. I wonder what excuses he will have? I’m sure he will say that you are different, but you are all the same, you Legion servants. You serve your purpose and then are discarded.”

“The Legion _will_ reward me,” the orc growled.

“Of that I am sure. A few extra months, years even, to live if you obey them. Or perhaps they will reward you with a swift death. Is this really what you want, to be at the mercy of an unpredictable and uncaring master? Is this not the very opposite of the power that you so long for?”

He could sense the warlock’s resolve cracking, but there remained a trace of doubt. Medivh could scarcely blame Gul’dan. _He knows that they will take his life if he disobeys. I must drive out their influence so that his survival instincts aren’t so immediate._

“I do not ask you to abandon your masters completely. Not yet. Just give me a moment, and you will see that there are better uses of your energy. There are better causes to serve.”

Gul’dan narrowed his eyes. “I do not trust you.”

“I give you my word that I will not harm you until I know that there is truly no way of changing your mind. I am not deceptive like you. Come, let me show you what your Legion masters could never give you.”

Medivh thought he sees something akin to fear in Gul’dan’s eyes, and he was unsure that he was any less apprehensive. The idea of Gul’dan disgusted him, but he knew that he held the key to something that Gul’dan had never experienced, something that would buy him a few moments of time, at the very least. Something that the Legion wouldn’t watch.

He closed the space between himself and Gul’dan and put his hands on Gul’dan’s chest. The orc flinchd like a wounded animal. It occurred to Medivh that no one got close enough to Gul’dan to touch him, and he kept his touch gentle, letting his hands wander over frail shoulders. His hands traveled over Gul’dan to his collarbone, down to his chest, and the orc’s breath hitched in his throat. His facial expression was still controlled, but Medivh didn’t let it deter him. His hands found a nipple and kneaded. All the while, he kept his eyes on Gul’dan’s face.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Gul’dan breathed.

Medivh touched Gul’dan in the same meticulous, delicate way that he casted spells. He knew that what he was doing was dangerous, that at any moment Gul’dan might turn on him and attempt to kill him. Still, Gul’dan was not accustomed to another being’s touch, and Medivh’s hands exploring his body seemed to have disarmed him. It was strangely exciting to Medivh, being able to subdue someone as powerful as Gul’dan with something so simple. One of his hands travelled down to Gul’dan’s crotch, and the orc shuddered. “Do you find it unpleasant?”

“If you think this will save your planet…” Gul’dan struggled to finish his sentence.

“Do not be ridiculous.” He kneeded at Gul’dan, dangerously close to his hardness, pleased at what he found there.

Gul’dan tilted his head back. His lips were parted in pleasure, and Medivh could see each one of his teeth even in the strange light of the tomb. His hands were firmer on the orc’s cock now that he was sure that Gul’dan would not stop him. Medivh lowered himself to his knees and worked at the ties of the warlock’s robes, keeping his eyes on his face. Gul’dan looked down at him, and his eyes narrowed. “Why are you doing this when you know that it changes nothing?”

“Must you ask so many questions?” Medivh’s hands met warm flesh, and he touched it appreciatively, for it had been some time since he had touched anyone in such an intimate way, even an enemy. “If you were less inclined to suspicion, you would enjoy yourself more.”

Gul’dan’s massive hands brushed the top of his head and cupped his chin so that he was looking at the orc. Medivh had some difficulty reading orcish faces, but it seemed to him that Gul’dan was troubled. “Open your mouth,” he said.

“I am not one of your prisoners to be given orders when it pleases you,” Medivh said smoothly. He wrapped a hand around the base of the orc’s cock and stroked him slowly, his eyes never leaving the orc’s face. Gul’dan let out a small gasp and watched as Medivh moved up Gul’dan and back again. He considered mocking Gul’dan for being so easy to please, but humiliating the orc would only drive him to anger. Instead, he smiled at Gul’dan. “Do you find this so displeasing? Shall I stop?”

“Continue.”

One of his hands cupped Gul’dan’s balls as the other worked his cock. It was too much for the orc and he could no longer bear to watch Medivh. His fingers tangled in Medivh’s hair with a roughness that Medivh liked more than he would admit, and he leaned his head on Gul’dan’s hip and nuzzled him. There had been a hint of the acrid stench of fel on Gul’dan’s robes, but his skin smelled clean enough.

“What game is this, mage?” Gul’dan asked him as he buried his face.

It was time to either follow his plan to the bitter end or to abandon it completely. He looked up at Gul’dan and studied him, but the orc’s face was unreadable. He would have to trust his instincts. “You have trouble standing for long stretches of time as it is. You may want to lie on the ground for this.” He grasped the orc’s hands and raised his eyebrows. “What will it be?”

Gul’dan studied him, probably searching for signs of treachery. Medivh waited with all the patience that he possessed, and finally, still clinging to his walking stick with one hand, he lowered himself to the stone ground and relaxed on his back.

It occurred to Medivh that his enemy was disabled and weaker than an ordinary orc. “How much weight can your body bear without pain?”

Gul’dan narrowed his eyes. “I am an _orc_ , you fool.”

“Indeed.” Medivh smirked as he lowerd himself onto Gul’dan’s stomach. “This should be no bother to you, then.”

“Your weight will not subdue me!” Gul’dan said with a hint of panic in his voice.

Medivh sighed. “I’m not _subduing_ anything. You truly haven’t done this before, have you?”

“Of course I have! Plenty of times, with beautiful orcs and draenei and even humans like you!”

“There _are_ no humans like me. Come now, there is no need to deceive me.” He closed his eyes. “Would you let the Legion rob you of a future before you’ve experienced pleasures of the flesh?” He traced circles into Gul’dan’s chest. He could see Gul’dan’s ribs jutting out. He was so small, probably starving. It was a shame.

“The Legion would give me any number of slaves to service me, if I wanted.”

“And how many of those slaves would go without a fight? How many would give themselves to you willingly?” He opened his eyes and studied Gul’dan.

The orc sneered. “What difference does it make whether they are willing?”

Medivh offered the orc a sad smile. “You would find that it makes all the difference in the world if you were wise enough to free yourself from the Legion. We could feed you, work on your strength, and you would be able to find any number of willing partners, provided that you didn’t tell them who you were.”

“Why would I do that when serving the Legion has you offering yourself to me so willingly?”

The mage rolled his eyes. “I will leave you here as a virgin if you don’t consider my offer. Perhaps you never cared before, but I can tell that you do now.”

“And if I leave with you, what guarantee do I have of any future? You will kill me as soon as I no longer have my master’s protection.”

“I could kill you here and now if I chose to. I don’t expect you to trust me, but at least have my word that I will make no move to kill you as long as you pose no threat to Azeroth.”

The orc was silent for a long time, longer than Medivh was comfortable with. He wondered if he should have let Gul’dan take him first before the offer of an escape was made, but it was too late now. Gul’dan would know that any further action was only to make him consider the offer. And so Medivh waited even though he waited waiting, even though he could hear traps springing in the tomb as Khadgar fumbled through the entrance tunnel. “Where in Azeroth could be free of the Legion’s influence?”

“The seat of the Guardian. Tirisfal.”

“Take me there.”

Medivh grinned. “It might be best if you put your clothes on first.”

Gul’dan moved with efficience to pull his pants back on. When he was finished, he looked at Medivh. “If you are lying, I will kill you.”

“I am sure.” He took Gul’dan by the hand and together, they were gone, and the tomb was threatened no more.


	2. Insignificant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gul'dan has his first day in the cave.

Gul’dan was starting to get a feel for the great cavern that Medivh insisted they stay in until better accommodations could be made. It was not a wholly unpleasant space, the orc decided; there was a stream large enough to bathe in when he saw fit, and the space was well-hidden. Medivh was never far away – no doubt watching him in case he changed his mind about tasting life without the Legion.

Gul’dan had no illusions as to why Medivh had offered him intimacy. It was a distraction, a desperate attempt to buy time, nothing more. Many of his past victims had tried to distract him before in the hope of prolonging their lives, or perhaps hoping that showing him generosity would sway Gul’dan’s decision to kill them. No one had tried _this_ method before, and it was exciting to Gul’dan. As long as the mage felt like playing, Gul’dan would play. There would be time for killing later.

And what a game it was. Even as Gul’dan scrubbed his skin with his too-long fingernails, he could still _feel_ Medivh’s hands tracing over his chest, gentle but still forceful enough to be burned into his memory. Hands tracing down to his stomach, ever lower… He shivered.

Gul’dan’s nails dug so deep into his flesh that they broke the skin, and still he couldn’t scrub away the traces of Medivh. He cursed, unused to anything having such power over him. The water flowed all around him, and it chilled his skin, but Gul’dan’s cheeks still burned as he thought of those hands touching him, seeking his pleasure. The beginnings of arousal stirred in his groin.

Gul’dan took a step toward the back of the stream, and then another – and faltered. Before he could catch himself, his knees were hitting the solid stone and water was rushing through his nose. He coughed and sputtered and dragged himself closer to the edge of the gap that the stream had carved out over the years. He grasped at it, but it was slippery and his arms were weak. There was no way for him to climb out here. He turned to look at where he had come from. The current was flowing against him, not strong enough to knock a man over but still too strong for his weak, aching legs to fight. He had been standing for too long already. His toes were numb with cold. He sighed.

“Medivh! Medivh, come here!” Gul’dan’s voice echoed across the vast space into the darkness. When there was no sign of movement, the orc grew frustrated. “I have no time for this, wizard! I know you are there!”

At last Medivh came to the edge of the stream, clad in his usual robe. He looked down at Gul’dan. “What is it that you want?”

Gul’dan hesitated. He did not want to ask for Medivh’s help, but his options were scarce. “I cannot get out of the water,” he admitted. “I require aid.”

Medivh rolled his eyes. “Let there be no games today. I have yet to seal this cave against those few who know its location.”

“Don’t you _dare_ leave me in this water if you have any desire to keep me out of the Legion’s grasp,” Gul’dan growled.

He knew that would do the trick. Medivh crouched down so that he was level with Gul’dan, and his eyes searched the orc’s face. “You truly are stuck down there. It isn’t some ploy to get me into the water with you.” He sighed. “And you can’t go back to where the edge isn’t so high?”

“Do you think that I failed to try? The current is too strong for my legs.”

Gul’dan expected Medivh to laugh, but he watched the orc with an unreadable expression. “I never would have thought that a warlock capable of dooming a species would have trouble climbing out of his bath. I thought I knew you so well.”

“Then you know that I will not tolerate this _ridicule_ much longer. Come now, before my legs buckle beneath me.”

Arcane tendrils wrapped themselves around Gul’dan’s arms and waist. He tried to recoil – the magic felt strange against his body, which was so used to fel magic – but their grip was firm. They pulled him up without straining. Medivh had extended his arms like a puppet master pulling the coils. Neither the spell work nor Gul’dan’s weight seemed to tax him, and he pulled and pulled until Gul’dan was clutching at his shoulder for support.

Gul’dan had been ashamed of himself plenty of times before, but never like this, standing nude and as wobbly as a baby talbuk next to someone who he desired so much. It was more humiliating than when he had been cast on his knees out of his village, because this was not a fellow orc who was degrading him, or someone to be manipulated and cast aside. This was someone to be reckoned with. To make matters worse, Medivh’s eyes were on him, appraising his weak legs and his hunched back and his undernourished body, missing nothing.

“Your Legion masters never fed you,” Medivh said, voice full of disdain.

“I can feed myself!”

“Clearly.” Medivh guided him away from the water. “If I am going to keep you here away from your masters, it’s to be done right; I will not be responsible for you in the state you’re in. How is it that your clan did not see to your well-being?”

Gul’dan narrowed his eyes. “Do not mock me. You know well that I have no clan.”

“The Shadowmoon was your clan, was it not? The Gul’dan that I remember-”

“I am not the Gul’dan that you remember! Kil’Jaeden, Khadgar, even you seek to liken me to that version of myself, but you are wrong to do so.” He took a deep breath and steadied himself as he worked to keep pace with Medivh. “ _I have no_ _people._ ”

Pieces of his past flitted in his mind, as vivid as when they’d happened. He could still feel the mud on his face and his body as he was kicked at, slapped to the ground because of his deformity. He could hear the chieftain screaming at him that he would never have a place among his people. He could feel the blistering heat of the sun burning his skin when they shut him out of the village, feel his hands and knees bleeding from weeks of crawling through the dirt and rock in hope of finding a reason to live. The vast emptiness as the elements forsook him, then the rage that showed itself at last as he found a master to serve. Then the sweetest memory of them all: the acrid scent of fel burning all around him as he leveled the village of his birth to the ground, the screams for mercy from those who had tormented him, the satisfaction of walking away, knowing that he had the control.

Medivh must have sensed the change in Gul’dan, for he had stopped and was watching the orc. Gul’dan knew that if he could, he would brag to Medivh about his vengeance. Now, while he was dripping wet and pathetic, he needed more than ever to let the mage know that he was Gul’dan, the powerful warlock who needed to be kept away from the Legion at any cost, not a child to be looked after. “I do not regret the many deaths that I have caused,” he told Medivh.

“I imagine you regret very little. That is your greatest folly, and it does great damage to your foresight. Still, there may yet be something we can do with you.”

He led Gul’dan to the small table that he had molded out of the rock earlier that day (being a mage certainly had its advantages, Gul’dan thought) and nodded at the orc to sit. Gul’dan was eager to rest, and so he sat. Medivh sat opposite him. With a snap of his fingers, the table was covered with food. Gul’dan did not know where the food came from (certainly it came from _somewhere_ , for there was never a time when something could come from nothing), but it looked and smelled real, and his mouth watered. It had been too long since he’d had time to eat.

“Go on,” Medivh said as he grabbed a hunk of bread for himself. “I did not summon it for it to go to waste.”

Gul’dan reached for a chicken leg, but froze mid-grab. Eating Medivh’s food would make him dependent on Medivh feeding him. For all he knew, the food could be poisoned. Even if it wasn’t, it could still be a trick, his way of showing Gul’dan who had the power between them. He wouldn’t be weak. “You think you are so clever. You are mistaken.”

Medivh raised an eyebrow. “You think I would try to trick you after I brought you here?”

“I am free from the Legion’s protection, so you assume that you will be free to do as you like without consequences. I assure you that is not the case.”

“I don’t fear the Legion. Let them come, so that they can see who waits for them. I am ready.”

“Bold words from the man who sold his body to get me out of that tomb.”

The color drained from Medivh’s face. He had a strange look in his eyes, one that told Gul’dan that he’d said the worst thing possible. “Perhaps I should have left you in that tomb,” he murmured. “Then you would have seen what the old Gul’dan wrote. Then you would have understood how very _inconsequential_ you are in all of this, how insignificant you always were!”

In defiance, Gul’dan stood up. His legs still felt unstable beneath him, but he took a step toward the cave’s entrance than another. He didn’t have to listen to the mage’s nonsense. He didn’t need any of it. Soon Medivh’s hand was on his shoulder, gripping him hard enough to stop him from taking another step. “Insignificant indeed,” he said with a smirk.

“Come back to the table and eat,” Medivh said.

Gul’dan thought that it might be amusing to refuse, but there was something in Medivh’s voice that made him consider. It was as if Medivh might be _disappointed_ if he didn’t return. Gul’dan was not naive, and he knew that it could only be that he cared to stop the Legion, but the idea of holding that sway over another being’s feelings was so alluring to him that he did not resist. He let Medivh guide him back to the table and took a small pile of chicken legs. He ate with abandon.

Gul’dan could feel Medivh watching him as he ate, and part of him felt like crawling away and eating in solitude. What could be so intriguing that he would feel the need to continue staring? Was he considering killing Gul’dan? The orc was still ready for any sign of possible attacks.

“The Legion will use anyone in any way they can,” the mage said. He had moved from his seat and was moving closer to Gul’dan. It made the orc uneasy, having Medivh so close to him, but the mage crouched so that he was closer to the orc’s level, he was able to look into the mage’s striking green eyes, and Medivh’s handsome face proved to be enough of a distraction.

“You think that because you are the Guardian, you are an expert in Legion tactics.”

“ _Was_ the Guardian,” Medivh corrected him. “I know about the Legion because I too have been used, and I will never again allow them to leave me vulnerable.” He inched closer to Gul’dan, so close that the orc could feel his body heat. He put his hands on the orc’s thighs, and just the reminder of what it felt like to be touched so intimately excited Gul’dan.

“You? I did not take you for the type to give in so easily.”

Medivh’s hands moved up Gul’dan’s naked thighs. “I’m not. From my birth, Sargeras manipulated me.” Medivh’s breath was hot against his stomach, and Gul’dan wished that he at least had a loincloth to hide his growing erection. “Khadgar had to kill me to break the cycle.”

Gul’dan grew jealous at the mention of Khadgar. “Yes, yes, enough talking.”

Medivh threw back his head and laughed. “How impatient you are.”

Gul’dan smiled. He wasn’t _impatient_ , just eager. “What are you going to do to keep me here this time?”

“Anything I see fit.”

Medivh took Gul’dan’s tip into his mouth, licking at it experimentally. The hotness of his mouth on his cock was unlike anything he’d ever felt and Gul’dan was tempted to force Medivh’s head down further, but he knew that it would be wiser to wait. Medivh looked up at him, and Gul’dan was sure to keep his face impassive as he looked back at Medivh. The mage dipped his head down a little further, taking care to keep his teeth from scraping the orc. It was clear to Gul’dan that Medivh would be unable to take all of him into his mouth, but he still moved slowly, so slowly, drawing it out.

Gul’dan wrapped his finger’s in the man’s hair and relaxed. One of Medivh’s hands found Gul’dan’s shaft and pumped it in pace with his mouth, and it was too much for Gul’dan to handle all at once, too good for him to take much more of. He hissed a warning and Medivh looked up at him, confused. “I can’t take much of this,” he said, cheeks burning.

Medivh took his mouth off of Gul’dan’s cock. He grinned, but he did not seek to ridicule Gul’dan. “I didn’t ask you to hold back,” he said. “As you pointed out earlier, this is to keep you here, not for my pleasure.”

Gul’dan balked at Medivh’s bluntness. “Is it so impossible to have both?”

As soon as he’d asked, Gul’dan knew the answer. _Of course it is impossible, you fool. What possessed you to say something so silly?_

“I didn’t realize that you cared for my pleasure, Gul’dan.”

“Answer me.”

The mage eyed him. “Some other time, perhaps, if you ever prove to be less difficult.”

His hand wandered back to Gul’dan’s cock. Part of the orc wanted to say _stop, wait, not like this_ , because part of him wanted to feel that he was more than a job that Medivh had taken on to keep the Legion at bay, but he knew that it could never be, not in this world and certainly not with Medivh, and so he threw his head back and gripped Medivh’s shoulders as the man worked him to climax.

He came hard, and the satisfaction of his orgasm washed over him in a way that nothing else ever had. He could scarcely believe that anything could feel so good at so low a cost. His hands did not leave Medivh’s shoulders as his breathing evened out, and he wondered if Medivh found it strange that he would still want him near. The truth was that there was something about Medivh that made Gul’dan think that he would never get enough. It had been the mage’s power that drew him in, but now there was something else about him. The orc felt like a moth to a flame.

He released Medivh at last, and the man uttered a quick spell to clean him. “I should finish those wards,” he said.

Gul’dan looked around the room, and what he saw near the cave interest made him grin wider than he had in a long time. He met Khadgar’s wide-eyed gaze and nodded in acknowledgement. “There may be little need. It seems that your companion has already found us.”

 


	3. Encounter

“This can’t be happening.”

“What are you doing here?” Medivh demanded. “You were to remain at the tomb. Have you forgotten how to listen, Trust?”

“I was sure that you would come back when I finished the job. When you didn’t come back, and when there was no trace of Gul’dan, I was suspicious. I thought he was going to _kill_ you.”

Medivh frowned. Gul’dan knew that he had never anticipated Khadgar discovering him, but he was here now, and the orc simply could not let an opportunity to cause Khadgar discomfort go to waste. He grinned. Medivh might be angry at him if he interfered, but it was a small price to pay.

“How touching.”

Khadgar glared at him. He turned back to Medivh, and his eyes were full of sadness. _Does he want Medivh too? Perhaps they are lovers. I suspected, when they were both in the tomb…_ “He tried to kill me,” he said.

“I know.”

“It wasn’t just one attempt. He didn’t care what he had to sacrifice to get to me. It was all a game to him. Everything is a game to him.” Khadgar looked back at Gul’dan. The orc stared right back at Khadgar. _Let him stare._ “There has to be some other way. A way that doesn’t involve you doing what you were doing.”

“Don’t tell me that you feel _jealous_ , mage. There is plenty of me to go around.”

Khadgar looked like he had been struck. “I would never want anything to do with you and you know it. I would rather die!”

Gul’dan rolled his eyes. “Lucky for me, that is a feeling that Medivh doesn’t seem to share.”

It made Gul’dan giddy to see the panic on Khadgar’s face when he looked from Gul’dan to Medivh back to Gul’dan. It was plain that the man hated him; Gul’dan had known that from the moment that Khadgar had sent his pawns to nose around in his business at Draenor. It was no surprise that Khadgar was shocked, either, given the bizarre circumstances. What surprised Gul’dan was that Medivh made no move to stop Gul’dan from egging Khadgar on. It was a testament to how dedicated Medivh was to keeping him away from the Legion.

“I simply don’t understand how you could do this. You knew that I was coming to the tomb. I risked my life to aid you, to keep the Legion out of that tomb, and you would throw it away for _this_ without so much as telling me! How could you do this?”

Gul’dan leaned forward. “Come now, Khadgar. You could not possibly believe that Medivh would trust you to stop me on your own. We could hear you fumbling through the tomb, setting off trap after trap like a clueless child. Failing in Draenor was an excusable blunder, but this is your home planet, and its defense would never be left to someone so reckless and imprecise.”

Khadgar clenched his jaw. Gul’dan could tell by the color of the mage’s face that he had effected Khadgar. Better still, Medivh made no move to stop him, though his eyes were glued to Khadgar. “I am neither of those things and you know it,” Khadgar said.

“Aren’t you? In Draenor, you assaulted moving trains and orcish strongholds and played with things you did not understand to find me. You sought the aid of demons to spy on me, and you lost a Warden in your obsessive pursuit. Still I evaded you time after time without difficulty, yet you believe that you should be halt this invasion? No one would fear such an enemy. No one would value your aid. You forced Medivh’s hand.”

“Retire to Karazhan, Khadgar.” Medivh’s eyes were cold. “You will find ways to aid now which are more within your reach. You are no use to me here.”

“But Guardian-”

“I did not want you in the tomb and I do not want you here. _Karazhan,_ I said.”

Medivh’s tone left no room for further questions, and Khadgar looked at him with a mix of despair and raw anger. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Gul’dan could only grin at him like a wolf beholding its prey. If there was a time for Medivh to reprimand Gul’dan, it would be now, while Khadgar was watching him, while little damage would be done to the man. Medivh showed no sign of changing Khadgar’s course, and the grey-haired mage walked out of the cave without another word. A few moments passed after his departure before Medivh addressed Gul’dan once more.

“This is not an opportunity for you to meddle in my affairs whenever you see fit. If you continue to do so, I will not spare you. I will turn your treacherous hide over to your Legion masters, and make no mistake, they _will_ kill you when they feel traces of my magic on you.”

Gul’dan bared his teeth. “You will not give me orders.”

“You will show restraint!” Medivh was angry at him now, looking at him like he was the most abhorrant creature he’d ever seen. Gul’dan felt a touch of regret – having Medivh angry at him would not do.

“I won’t have him poking around in my business! I had more than enough of that fool in Draenor. I cannot see why you care so much about his feelings.”

“Of _course_ you can’t.” Medivh shook his head. “Khadgar is right. This has to be the single worst idea I’ve had. I should have just killed you, rather than expecting you to be redeemed.”

Medivh was doing the unthinkable, turning away from him when he had been so dedicated to keeping him around before. Gul’dan didn’t understand. What could be so special at Khadgar, that his departure could turn Medivh against him? Why was he not dispensible? _I am Gul’dan. I am darkness incarnate, and he will not_ _walk away from me until I say so._

He summoned a ball of fel energy. The burning of the fel against his fingers was a welcome familiar sensation. The sickly green glow lit the cave. “The Legion will be waiting for Khadgar when he gets to Karazhan. They have plans for him.”

That stopped Medivh. He turned back to look at Gul’dan. “If you think that the Legion will find him to save you-”

“I am wiser than that. Before the tomb, I was prepared to kill him. Life without Khadgar would be easier for me, and it would have been glorious, making him pay for interfering with my plans on Draenor. Kil’Jaeden did not want that. He stopped me from moving against your precious mage. He _will_ find Khadgar.”

“Then I should get a message to him. He will not die.”

It pained and angered Gul’dan to see Medivh trouble himself with something as trivial as Khadgar’s fate. His power was something that Gul’dan envied and hungered for, but he was allowing himself to be so short-sighted by working against the Legion. Gul’dan could accept that – he had expected some resistance, and if Grommash Hellscream would resist, than someone as strong as Medivh was sure to do the same – but Khadgar was a waste of his energy and time, time that Gul’dan was not willing to share. “Let him go.”

Medivh’s lips moved faster than Gul’dan could read them. In the near-silence of the cave, he could hear the mage whispering, and the sound sent a shiver down his spine. He wondered what it might feel like to have Medivh’s magic used against him, restraining him against the walls, digging into his skin in protest of the fel that powered him. He supposed that he could find out, sooner or later, when Medivh needed him.

Medivh stopped his whispering and glanced at Gul’dan. Something had changed in his face. He was Magus Medivh again, cold and unaffected and impossible to read. It was as if he was a different person entirely. “You will share what you know if you want this arrangement to continue.”

“So that you can kill me as soon as you have what you need? I think not.”

Medivh frowned. “I have given you no reason not to trust me, and in return, you have put my former apprentice’s life in danger and forced me to act to save him. It’s your turn to prove that you are worth keeping alive, and that you are not a threat to our cause.”

Their game had taken a turn. Gul’dan knew that to admit that he knew little would be the end of it, that he would no longer be the predator. That would not do. Nor could he plant false information, for Medivh was clever enough to know a lie. All that remained was to do what he did well. He had to manipulate Medivh.

“When I came to Azeroth, my mission was to given to me by Lord Kil’Jaeden. I could hear his thoughts invading my mind, and he led me to the tomb. He told me that he needed me as before, when the other Gul’dan raised the tomb. I saw Khadgar with the Watchers, and I was sure that I could kill every one of them, but I was told to wait, to hold back, that they were not my charge. My place was in the tomb, to break it open.” Gul’dan scowled. “He talked about the other Gul’dan like it was me who betrayed the Legion.”

“Haven’t you betrayed them by coming here?”

Gul’dan grinned. “This is not betrayal. It’s self-preservation.”

“Ah, a difference that I’m sure the Legion will appreciate. Why do you serve them? Is it just the power that they offer you?”

“Why do you wish to know?”

“It isn’t often that I sit to discuss the Legion with one of its greatest servants. I hoped I might gain some insight. Too often it seems to me that Legion pawns are power-hungry, and they give no consideration to what it means to give their freedom to demons who view lesser beings as disposable. Khadgar pointed out to me that there may be more to it then that at times. Enlighten me.”

Gul’dan considered. He had served the Legion because there had been no other options. They had come to him when he was frail and starving and offered him ultimate power, something he had always longed for but never tasted. His tribe had failed him, and the elements had failed him, but the Legion was there.

He took their offer, and it didn’t matter that other orcs would die, because they had been less than nothing to him. He found that he enjoyed inflicting pain and knowing that he could mold the world so that the lesser creatures and even his own kind would do whatever he demanded. Let them know what it felt like to be nothing. Let them die knowing that Gul’dan was stronger than all of them. And when the time came, if the Legion disposed of Gul’dan, it would not be before he found a greater source of power for himself, something that even the Legion wanted. He was sure of that.

“There was nothing else. It was the power that drew me in.”

“Nothing greater?”

 _Liar. There was bitterness, jealousy, longing._ “Nothing.”

Medivh was looking at him like he knew that Gul’dan was lying. There was something peculiar in those eyes that made Gul’dan feel like he had no secrets and could tell no lies. It unsettled him. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He loved nothing more than a challenge, and Medivh was proving to be just that.

“It would be a great shame if the Legion kills you,” he said before getting up to walk to his makeshift bed.


	4. Duplicity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gul'dan encounters his other master.

Gul’dan simply didn’t understand what was happening. He had known that Medivh would not _kill_ him – he needed him too much for that – but he had suspected that their little game would end the moment that he told a lie to the the mage. He was certain, even, that Medivh knew that he was lying; the mage was too clever to be deceived so easily, even by one so naturally skilled at deception as Gul’dan was. Medivh had probably come to expect as much from him long before now, long before he had even met this Gul’dan.

_It would be a great shame if the Legion kills you._

What manner of vile trick had that been, to act as if Gul’dan’s life _mattered_? Gul’dan knew the truth, of course he did – Medivh wanted him for as long as he could provide information and leverage, and after that, he was as dead as the thousands of others who had fallen to the Legion. But the sentiment was one Medivh also carried, openly. Everybody wanted something from Gul’dan, and it was this that had kept him alive so far. But _this_ was worse than deception, to have Medivh mince his words. And the way he had said it, with his voice so dangerously low and those striking green eyes looking at him like they knew everything about him, it almost felt like…

Gul’dan would not let himself entertain that thought. It was worse than dangerous to believe that Medivh would have a change of heart.

He closed his eyes. Fel energy thrived on destruction, and now that there was nothing to destroy, Gul’dan felt weakened, the way he had felt before the Legion had given him that exciting new power that could make his enemies bow before him. He tried to draw on that power now, but with nothing to destroy, he was limited. He thought that he could feel a trace of _something_ , and he allowed a piece of it in. It was the most terrible thing he had ever felt. It gnawed away at the edge of his being worse than even Archimonde had, threatened to break past his will and sow corruption until nothing remained. _Lord Kil’Jaeden._

_You disappeared, Gul’dan. You disobeyed._

Gul’dan allowed his fear to be known. _Lord Kil’Jaeden, the fault is not my own. I was taken by servants of the magus Khadgar!_ He supposed that was not a complete lie.

_You allowed something as weak as a human to take you forcibly? You are more pathetic than I believed._

This was not the encounter he had hoped for. _Have understanding, Master, for I have not given up. I believe I may find valuable information here before I break free-_

_You are not a spy, Gul’dan. I do not need you here. I need you at the Nightwell. You will find your way there by week’s end, or you will be very sorry indeed. I have not forgotten your last betrayal._

_That wasn’t me!_ He objected, but it was too late. Kil’Jaeden was gone, and he was alone in the near-darkness, more vulnerable than ever in every sense.

Gul’dan had never minded silence. It was something he was familiar with, after years of solitude in his village. Before it had been reduced to rubble, he had stayed alone in his hut, trying in vain to walk with his too-weak legs. They were like limp blades of grass, and more often than not he fell onto the stone floor, sometimes biting down and breaking the skin of his lip. Those had been the days that were the darkest for Gul’dan, when he still had some foolish, childish hope of improvement and acceptance.

Once, his chieftain had walked in on him. The look of disgust in those black eyes were the thing he remembered most of all, more than even the kick in the ribs. He had never understood, never cared whether Gul’dan lived or died. Only the strong mattered, and he was _anything_ but strong in those days. Then there had been the kind shaman, who had tried to encourage him with empty words about finding his place in the world. _His place_ was clearly not among the clan; the chief had made that clear with every bitter word and every act of physical retaliation.

It was that hate that had allowed him to find the Legion (or rather, allowed the Legion to find _him_ ), and it was that anger that allowed him to live, though he knew that no one had any affection for him. The time had long passed when he cared for affection. Though now, when he remembered the feel of Medivh’s warm, nimble human hands on his thighs… well, that wasn’t quite affection, but it was something he could find room to care for. And that was dangerous.

He heard the faint sound of footsteps when Medivh returned from what he had been doing – probably visiting Khadgar, he thought bitterly – but he did not bother to acknowledge the mage. Medivh would find him when he wanted something, or when he needed something. When he did, the information would be ready.

Much of the night passed without Medivh bothering to announce his return, and Gul’dan was sure that he wasn’t going to be lucky enough to see him before he fell asleep. When he was soaking his feet in the stream, however, Medivh silently settled beside him. It was strange, the feeling of another being so close to him without his permission, and it made Gul’dan uneasy. He cleared his throat.

“What is it you want, mage?”

He looked at Medivh, and when the mage looked back at him, his eyes were dark and contemplative. “What is it you think that I want?”

“More information. Information that you haven’t paid for.” He knew that he was pushing his luck, but Gul’dan wasn’t in the mood to tiptoe around.

“Not tonight. I have the information I need… the Legion was at my home of Karazhan. They were seeking Khadgar, but I believe that there is something more that they want, something they know is there.”

“They want access to the Nightwell,” Gul’dan said. “If I had to guess, I would say that they plan to use its magic to fuel a portal, like my magic fueled the portal to Draenor. That is a great source of magic. Maybe whatever they seek is related to that.”

Medivh looked shocked, and he could scarcely blame the mage. He was shocked at himself. It was against everything he believed in to _hand_ information to an enemy without at least ensuring that he would live to see it used, and Medivh was as horrible a foe as any, attractive or not. “You neglected to tell me this until it was convenient for you.”

“I only learned it today. Kil’Jaeden demands that I come to him by the week’s end.”

“You expect him to come for you if you do not obey him.”

Gul’dan shrugged. “I live as long as he has a use for me. After that, he has no reason to let me live. I’m sure that you understand those principles, seeing as you use them too.”

Medivh smiled. “Have no fear of the Legion. They have no power here. However, I think it would be prudent for you to obey your master’s command just this once.”

“You would hand me back to the Legion so easily?” _No. No, this couldn’t be._ Had he so quickly outlived his use to the ex-Guardian? He had known that Medivh was volatile, but this was soon, even for him. “I am no minor force to them. They need me to continue their schemes, to conquer your world...”

“That is precisely why you are to join Kil’Jaeden. He is to proceed with his vile plans, and you are to go on as if nothing is wrong. Do you understand?”

“And what of my fate, my life, if I go back to him? I know that you would not let me live out of sympathy. You have a plan.”

“I always have a plan.”

“Indulge me. If I am to risk my life to lie to a Lord of the Legion for _your_ plan, I have the right to know what’s in store.”

“I have a secret weapon in Surumar. I intend to use it on Kil’Jaeden before he has the chance to follow through with his plans. All of the Legion will be devastated, and none will be spared… save for you, if you show me that you can be trusted.”

Medivh had Gul’dan’s attention. “And how will I do that?”

“If you reveal the nature of my plan to Kil’Jaeden, he will be prepared. I will know, believe me.”

“What is the nature of this weapon that you trust with our lives?”

Medivh’s eyes glowed even in the dull light. “The power of a Guardian. The Legion might have tried to deceive Khadgar with the offer of the powers of Guardian, but I am the one who has the power to bestow it, and it’s time that the Legion was reminded of what a true Guardian is capable of. It would serve you well to be with us, not against us.”

“And if I do, what’s in it for me?”

“Ah, ever one to search for a reward, as if your life was not enough! We made a deal. I intend to keep it. Consider that when you feel temptation to tell your masters about the Guardian.”

Gul’dan felt indignation burning in his chest, and he wanted to argue with Medivh, to accuse him of thinking nothing of him, but it was right of the Guardian to worry. Betrayal was in his nature; even the Legion was intent on reminding him of that, even if he was different from that other self, even if he worked to earn their trust. “You distrust me.”

“I trust the information you have given me. We will see if I can trust you when the time comes to descend on the Nightwell.”

Medivh was close to him then, dangerously close, so close that he could feel the mage’s body heat and the warmth of his breath against his skin. He was tempted to grab Medivh, and part of him believed that the mage would not fight with him, but he was still. He wondered what Medivh might do if given the freedom of choice. Medivh pressed his lips to Gul’dan’s ear, and a shiver went down the orc’s spine even as a familiar warmth filled his groin.

“Do not disappoint me,” he whispered. The sound of his voice carried itself all the way through Gul’dan’s body. And just as soon as he had spoken, Medivh was gone.

Gul’dan thought again of Medivh’s mouth pressed against him. It was better than any sensation he had ever known, and it burned in him still. He longed for release, but knew that Medivh would not give it to him. His hand travelled to his groin. He supposed that he could take care of it himself. His hands were not so calloused as the hands of other orcs, and certainly more nimble than most orcish hands, but they still felt rough and awkward against the skin of his erection. It wasn’t as if he had never done this before, but he missed the feeling of Medivh’s hands and Medivh’s mouth, smooth and warm and human, all too certain of the effect they were having on him. It was agonizing, trying to satisfy himself without Medivh, and when he finished, it was lackluster.

He was becoming dependent on Medivh. That could not be safe, or healthy, for Medivh was a fickle ally, and cared for his satisfaction only when it suited him. None of that mattered, though, not now. All that mattered was how badly Gul’dan wanted him. As badly as power itself, almost. Almost badly enough to turn against the Legion for that touch alone. He had never considered himself weak, but this was weaker than anything he had known.

He despised himself for that weakness, and he despised Medivh for bringing it into being. More than anything, he yearned to satisfy it just one more time.

It would be a long week, indeed.


End file.
